StoryLTD
StoryLTD is an India-based curated online auction and e-commerce platform offering Indian art, jewellery, rare books, collectibles, and home décor through fixed-price sales and timed auctions, serving global collectors via parent Saffronart's offices in Mumbai, New York, London, and Delhi.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersMumbai, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What StoryLTD does
StoryLTD is a curated online auction and e-commerce platform for Indian fine art, jewellery, collectibles, rare books, textiles, and home décor, launched in 2013 as a service of Saffronart — India's leading auction house established in 2000 and subject of a Harvard Business School case study. The platform combines fixed-price shopping through curated Seller Stores and themed in-house Collections with timed online auctions spanning modern and contemporary art, folk and tribal art, fine jewellery and watches, rare books, film and sports memorabilia, British prints, and poster art. It serves individual art collectors, the Indian diaspora, interior designers, bibliophiles, and jewellery enthusiasts across more than 100 listed artists including S H Raza, M F Husain, F N Souza, and contemporary figures such as Subodh Gupta and Bharti Kher.
The platform is built on proprietary auction software supporting real-time and proxy/auto bidding, 24-hour extended bidding windows, bid increment management, and lot grouping for simultaneous multi-lot auctions, delivered through a web storefront and dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications. Multi-currency transactions in USD and INR, international shipping with insurance, and physical gallery infrastructure via Saffronart offices in Mumbai (Prabhadevi), New York (595 Madison Avenue), London (73 New Bond Street), and Delhi (The Oberoi) enable global reach. Technology stack otherwise relies on conventional e-commerce tooling, including Google Analytics remarketing and DoubleClick campaign manager integration, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, proprietary models, or data flywheel mechanisms.
The business operates a pure marketplace consignment model with two revenue streams: (1) a tiered Buyer's Premium on auction sales (20% up to USD 1.5M, 15% from USD 1.5M to USD 3M, 12% above USD 3M) plus applicable GST within India, and (2) commissions on fixed-price consignment sales with no upfront, listing, or membership fees. Sellers are supported with full operational management — website presentation, billing, shipping, and customer support — in exchange for a success-based commission. The company employs 11-50 staff, is privately held under Saffron Art Private Limited, has not disclosed external funding, and reports revenue figures that are not publicly available.
StoryLTD firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- StoryLTD
- Legal name
- Saffron Art Private Limited
- Website
- https://storyltd.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- StoryLTD is an India-based curated online auction and e-commerce platform offering Indian art, jewellery, rare books, collectibles, and home décor through fixed-price sales and timed auctions, serving global collectors via parent Saffronart's offices in Mumbai, New York, London, and Delhi.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
StoryLTD industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Art and Collectibles Auctions
- NAICS
- Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458), Art Dealers (45992), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO), Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF), Jewelry, Watches & Luxury Goods Online Retailers (CRAFADAN)
Keywords
Where StoryLTD is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mumbai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices4 records
Markets served
StoryLTD business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fixed Price Sales Commission: StoryLTD charges sellers a commission on products sold through the fixed price collections. No upfront fees or listing charges apply. The company operates on a consignment model where sellers only pay when a sale is generated.
- Buyer's Premium on Auctions: For auction purchases, StoryLTD charges a Buyer's Premium calculated at 20% of the winning bid value on each lot up to USD 1,500,000; 15% of the winning bid value in excess of USD 1,500,000 up to USD 3,000,000; and 12% of the winning bid in excess of USD 3,000,000. Additional GST applies for deliveries within India.
- Seller Consignment Services: The company manages all online operations including presentation on the website, billing, shipping, and customer support for consignors. Sellers receive periodic reports and payments based on sales through the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Auction Buyer's Premium: 20% up to USD 1.5M, 15% from USD 1.5M to USD 3M, 12% above USD 3M |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Seller Consignment: Commission-based with no upfront fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
StoryLTD product offering
Product offeringCore offering
StoryLTD operates an online curated auction and fixed-price marketplace for fine art, jewellery, watches, fashion, properties, and lifestyle collectibles. It runs timed online auctions and a no-fee e-commerce shop featuring inventory from curated independent sellers and designers, delivered through a web platform and dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications.
Product overview
StoryLTD is a dual-function platform comprising an online auction service and a fixed-price e-commerce marketplace, launched in 2013 as a service of Saffronart (established 2000). The Auction Platform enables real-time online bidding on Indian art, jewellery, collectibles, rare books, and memorabilia through website and mobile apps (iOS and Android). The Shop offers curated fixed-price sales across art, books, interior & design items, jewellery, and textiles from select independent sellers via Stores (branded seller presence) and Collections (themed curations). The platform features over 100 Indian artists and supports both auction and direct purchase purchasing models, with global shipping from Mumbai and New York offices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- StoryLTD Online Auctions Timed online auctions hosted on the StoryLTD platform, offering authenticated fine art, jewellery, watches, fashion, properties, and lifestyle collectibles to individual collectors and design enthusiasts globally, with real-time bidding and proxy bid functionality.
- StoryLTD Shop A fixed-price e-commerce marketplace on StoryLTD where curated independent sellers and designers list jewellery, fashion, art, and lifestyle products for direct purchase by collectors and design-conscious consumers.
- StoryLTD iOS Mobile App Native iOS application that lets collectors browse upcoming auctions, place bids (including proxy bids), and purchase fixed-price items from the StoryLTD shop on iPhone and iPad.
- StoryLTD Android Mobile App Native Android application that lets collectors browse upcoming auctions, place bids (including proxy bids), and purchase fixed-price items from the StoryLTD shop on Android smartphones and tablets.
Quantifiable outcome
- No-Reserve Auction of Modern & Contemporary Art achieved total sales of Rs 1,99,91,532 (US $327,730) in December 2014 with over 100 lots
Companies that use StoryLTD
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
StoryLTD technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
StoryLTD partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SaffronartcoreStoryLTD is a service of Saffronart, India's leading auction house established in 2000. Saffronart provides the operational expertise, brand credibility, gallery infrastructure, and auction platform technology that powers StoryLTD. Saffronart has set global benchmarks for online auctions and was subject of a Harvard Business School case study.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
StoryLTD competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pundole's: Long-standing Mumbai auction house for Indian art, antiquities and collectibles. Comparable as a domestic Indian auction competitor with overlapping lot categories and a similar diaspora bidder strategy.
- Saffronart: StoryLTD's parent and India's leading online auction house for Indian art. Operates the same bidder base and management team; comparable because it directly competes in the same Indian-art auction category from which StoryLTD was carved out as a curated shopping extension.
- Astaguru: Mumbai-based online auction house specializing in modern and contemporary Indian art. Directly comparable as a fellow India-headquartered digital-first auction house targeting the same collectors, consignors and price points.
- Artsy: Leading online art marketplace aggregating galleries and auction houses globally. Comparable as a digital discovery and transaction layer for the same collectors, and a potential platform competitor as it expands buy-now and auction capabilities.
- Bidsquare: Aggregator platform that powers online bidding for hundreds of auction houses. Comparable as a technology and discovery layer for the same online auction buyer; relevant as a potential partner or substitute channel.
- Artnet: Online art market platform offering auctions, galleries and price databases. Comparable because it operates online auction infrastructure and competes for both consignors and bidder attention in the modern/contemporary segment.
Broad incumbents
- Sotheby's: Global auction house with dedicated Indian and South Asian art sales and online bidding. Comparable because it competes for premium consignments, marquee bidders and increasingly online art commerce on a worldwide scale.
- Phillips: Global auction house with growing online sales and editions/collectibles verticals. Comparable as a digital-forward incumbent expanding into jewelry, editions and design — categories StoryLTD also sells.
- Christie's: Global fine-art auction house with an active South Asian modern and contemporary art category. Comparable as the gold-standard incumbent competing for the same high-end consignors and bidders that StoryLTD targets.
- Bonhams: International auction house with Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art departments. Comparable as an incumbent expanding digital bidding and competing for the same South Asian art consignors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
StoryLTD social profiles
Digital presenceStoryLTD financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
StoryLTD leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
StoryLTD funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
StoryLTD M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about StoryLTD
What does StoryLTD do?
StoryLTD operates an online curated auction and fixed-price marketplace for fine art, jewellery, watches, fashion, properties, and lifestyle collectibles. It runs timed online auctions and a no-fee e-commerce shop featuring inventory from curated independent sellers and designers, delivered through a web platform and dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications.
Is StoryLTD a public or private company?
StoryLTD is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was StoryLTD founded?
StoryLTD was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is StoryLTD based?
StoryLTD is headquartered in Mumbai, India, in the Asia region.
How does StoryLTD make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fixed Price Sales Commission is the primary driver. The others are buyer's Premium on Auctions and seller Consignment Services.
Who are StoryLTD's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pundole's, Saffronart, Astaguru, Artsy, Bidsquare and Artnet. Broad incumbents are Sotheby's, Phillips, Christie's and Bonhams.
Does StoryLTD have an API?
No public API is recorded for StoryLTD.
What industry is StoryLTD in?
StoryLTD's product category is Online Art and Collectibles Auctions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAAAC, Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces, with a secondary code of CRALAGAO, Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail. Its NAICS code is 458 and its SIC code is 5944.